


Find the Way to Each Other (Cancelled)

by Pikuna



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Romance, Cultural Differences, Diplomacy, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, alternative ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-04-27 23:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5068417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikuna/pseuds/Pikuna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>!! <b>Cancelled</b> !! </p><p>An alternative Ending and what happens after, for the movie 'Strange Magic'.<br/>The song 'Tell Him' was never sung, so that Marianne and Bog are left to think about their feelings for each other.<br/>Unsure if they are ready to trust their hearts again, they still work together to build a new home for the Dark Forest residents and to strengthen diplomacy between the two kingdoms.<br/>Between politics and cultural differences, the two royals still get their time for sparring and getting to know each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Parting

**Author's Note:**

> My very first attempt to write a story after years.  
> Ohhh, I so hope I don't make any big mistakes, english isn't my first language, so be warned!  
> But I got so much nice feedback on tumblr for this, so I had to finish this first chapter and see, how things will work.  
> I really needed to write an alternative ending. I love this movie very much, but it's ending was so unsatisfying and forced for me, that I couldn't hold myself back.  
> Hopefully you guys will like it!

The last night was really an emotional roller-coaster. From anger, vengeance and animosity, over mutual respect and sympathy to betrayal, fear and then…? Both of them didn’t even dare to think about it as affection, but there was something, definitely.

There they stood, on the edge of the cliff, in which Bog’s former castle laid, in ruins with no hope to rebuilt it. As King, his destroyed fortress should be the thing that concerns him the most, besides the invasion on his land.  
But those weren’t the Bog King’s concern at the moment, his mind was full of warm clouds that made it hard for him to think or even talk properly. And it seemed that the Fairy in front of him had the same problem.  
They both just stammered helpless, clearly not able to get a straight mind and actually talk about that what they wanted.

Just as Marianne was about to leave the side of the Bog King, her sister Dawn landed between them, making him flinch and tried to stay as far away from her as possible.  
  
“Please don’t sing.” the Goblin begged the young Fairy, but she didn’t seem to listen to him. “You know Bog…” “Boggy.” he corrected her without thinking, but seconds later he wanted to hit himself.  
  
Finally the Fairy he captured called him by his proper name, so why did he corrected her to this silly nickname?  
  
Dawn seemed to ignore it. “It’s never going to work between us.”  
  
“Well,…” Bog started, but the she already had her Finger on his lips, so she could continue, “It’s not you, it’s me.” she said with an apologetic smile.  
  
Clearly confused by her…apology he just waved his hands in appease.  
  
“No problem.” was the only thing he said, before he flinched again, as the older sister appeared on his side again. “Yeah, yeah, n-no problem at all.” Marianne stuttered and laughed slightly nervous.  
  
Bog looked slightly puzzled down to her, while her nervous smile stayed on her face, as she squinted up to him. Dawn had her hands on her hips and smiled aware at the sight of them standing close together, not knowing what to do.

 

But before anyone could say something, they heard how they were approached, “Dawn! Marianne!” It was King Dagda.  
  
As soon as he was awaken from his blackout, after seeing Dawn and Sunny kiss, he went to his girls, who stood so casually together with the being that had crashed a festival and kidnapped one of them just some hours ago!  
  
“My dears, I’m so glad to see you both unharmed,” Dagda sighed relieved when he hugged Dawn, which returned the gesture, but then let her go and looked confused between the three of them, “But what happened? Roland was supposed to save Dawn and now…this?” His hands waved in the direction of the ravine, not clearly if he meant the destroyed castle or Roland, who, with the utmost probability, laid on the ground of it.  
  
While Dagda waited for an answer, his gaze moved particularly between Marianne and Bog with high concern.  
  
After looking at each other, it appeared they just then realized how close they still stood together.  
  
With slightly flushed cheeks both of them took a quick step to the side from each other, Bog slightly coughing and Marianne rubbing her arm. “Well, Dad. That’s quiet one of a story.”  
  
“I’m more then willing to listen. After all we have some…matters to discuss.” Dagda crossed his arms and gave the Bog King a glare, which was returned, but with less intense.  
  
"That sounds, if yer blaming me for starting all this...chaos," Bog said calm, but with a grimly undertone and waved his hand over his destroyed castle and the army from the Light Fields, which still stood there, waiting for a command from their King. "After all, one of yer subjects crossed the borders first." It appeared that his mind wasn't so cloudy anymore, now that the anger about the destruction and intrusion finally appeared.  
  
"Still, that's no excuse for attacking my people and kidnapping one of the princesses, my daughter!" exclaimed the Fairy King angry, still worried.

Calmly as possible Bog snarled. He had a point there, but the Goblin King wasn't known for giving out concession, so he was about to give a counter-argument, when Dawn took a step closer to them, "But that's okay Dad, really!"  
Both Kings looked surprised to the young princess and also Marianne lifted a brow in wonder.  
  
"Yeah, Bog may have overreacted a bit," she started to explain, giving the Bog King a reproachful look, to which he didn't know how to react to. "Still, in the end I think it was actually good that he took me with him. Somehow I was dusted with the Love Potion and ended up falling in love with him." Her explanation was interrupted from the shocked gasp of her father, but she continued, "I'm sure many other people would have taken advantage of that or would have hurt me, because I was such a bother in that state," Both Marianne and Bog chuckled quiet, as they remembered Dawn's excessive singing and Boggy-Woggy saying. "But Bog was very nice to me, tried to find an antidote and kept the other Goblins from eating me."  
  
Again she was interrupted by an even more shocked gasp from her father and with hectic waving hands, Marianne signaled her sister, that this wasn't a very good defending point.  
  
Dawn understood it and added quickly, "Oh, but that was just because they aren't used to Fairies. When you spent a bit of time with them, they are very nice. One of them actually sang a lullaby for me!"  
  
Marianne had to laugh a little about this mental image, but King Dagda didn't seem so convinced, "So, you wanna tell me, that you weren't harmed while you where here?"  
  
"Well, not from the Goblins..." Dawn whispered now and started to tremble a bit, when she rubbed her upper arms, where Roland had gripped her to use her as a shield.  
  
Marianne saw the fear that overcame her sister from this memories, so she hurried to her side and comforted her.  
  
"Dawn?" her father asked worried, but a nod from his youngest, that stated she was okay, calmed him.  
  
"They were really nice to me and it's also thanks to Bog, that I got out of the castle unharmed. He risked his life for me and Marianne." Dawn ended her explanation and gave the Bog King a weak, but honest thankful smile.  
  
Marianne gave him the same smile, which made his ears flush a bit and he tried to smile, again unsure how to react. It was not everyday, that someone thanked him. "Really, that...was no problem. Somehow...A still, was a bit...ye know...it was, after all, somehow ma fault, that ye were in the castle in the first place."  
  
Both sisters chuckled at his stutter and got an insecure, teethed smile.

King Dagda frowned, still not sure what to think about this, but he nodded. His concern for Dawn were at ease, yet the ones for Marianne were still there, "But what's with you my dear? After all you flew on your own into the Dark Forest."  
  
Marianne saw how is eyes laid on her bruises scratches, so she just shrugged with her shoulders, to show him that she was fine. "Ah, Dad. You know how easily I get covered in bruises and that stuff, it's really no big deal."  
  
However, this answer didn't satisfied her father and so she sighed and continued, "Okay, I got stuck here and there to my way to the castle, I don't know this place after all. And yes, I had a fight with Bog, but I was the one who attacked first and he only defended himself," With that she squinted up to Bog, an apologetic smirk on her face, which he returned with a warm smile that said 'No problem.' "After we calmed down, we both looked for an antidote for Dawn and he treated me...really nice." The last words were spoken a bit lower, her gaze was still on Bog. Memories from their flight together came back to her mind, but before her cheeks could get a darker tone, Marianne shook her head and looked back at her father, "Most of my injuries I got are from Roland. He is responsible for them. Actually he is responsible for ALL of this!" She waved her hands around.

"W-what? What do you mean Marianne? He was supposed to rescue the both of you." Dagda asked confused.  
  
Marianne just snorted scornful, "Yeah, 'rescue'. You saw how he tried to love-dust me, or? That was his plan from the start. He wanted to force me to love him, so he could become King and get his stupid army!"  
  
"B-but he wasn't the one-"  
  
"It happened on his request. He started all this chaos! He ordered the destruction of Bog's castle! He...He used Dawn as shield, to save his sorry ass!" In her rage about the memories of Roland's insidious plan her voice got louder and her arms waved around furiously, but the quiet sob of her sister calmed her down immediately.  
  
Again she went to her side, laid her arms around Dawn and soothed her, followed by the worried looks of both Kings.  
  
Then Marianne had to let out a tired sigh. It was really a long and stressful night. With all the emotions and adrenaline in her, she hadn't realized how tired she got until now.  
  
She saw that her father went to Dawn's other side, to comfort her also and gave Marianne a worried look. It was still visible that he was confused about the thing with Roland, but he was more than willing to wait for clear answers until his daughters felt better.

 

The silence was interrupted by Bog, "Maybe we should postpone this...discussion to another time," he said with a calm voice and a caring look on the face for both princesses. "We are all agitated by the occurrences from the night and it would be unwise to continue in such a state. With a clear mind, talks will be much easier."  
  
Marianne gave him a thankful smile and after some seconds King Dagda nodded, "I...I agree. I need to take care for my daughters, everything else can be cleared later."  
  
"Aye," He really didn't want to strain them too much and he had to take care of his subjects himself. Still, there needed to be talks, as a King he couldn't let the people be unpunished, who harmed the forest. "Ah would suggest that we meet again tomorrow at midday."  
  
"And do you also have a suggesting where?" King Dagda asked, which Bog couldn't answer right away. After all, he had no castle anymore and it was barely conceivable, that the Fairies would let a Goblin in their Kingdom.  
  
Luckily Marianne had an idea: "How about we meet at the border? Under the root that marks the...official entrance to the Dark Forest? Then both of you would be near your territory and when everybody takes some guards with, it should be fine."  
  
Both Kings seemed to be taken with this idea, as they nodded in silence.  
  
"At this point this appears to be the wisest choice. What do ye say King Dagda?" Bog asked the other Monarch, who let out a wearily sigh. "I agree to that. Tomorrow Midday at the border crossing with a handful of guards for both of us. No frontier crossings and abductions until then." Dagda hesitated a few moments, until he reached his hand to the Bog King, which was a bit surprised by this gesture, but he took the offered hand and shook it. He tried his best not to harm him, Bog really wasn't used to this fragile fairy hands.  
  
After this royal handshake, Dagda put his arms around his daughters and was about to leave, before he looked back to Bog, "I really hope you will find shelter for you and your people."  
  
The Goblin made a thankful gesture, "Don't worry, we Goblins are steadfast and the forest gives us many ways to take shelter."  
  
With a nod, the Fairy King bid farewell and went on to leave.  
  
Meanwhile Bogs gaze went to Marianne, who saw this.  
  
She leaned to her father, "Dad, you surely need to instruct the army about this. I hope it's okay when I say goodbye to Bog in the meantime."  
  
Her father gave her an unconfident look, but nodded then, "But don't take too long."  
  
"Don't worry, I will be back in a minute." And with a kiss on his forehead she left the side of her father, to go back to Bog.

While Marianne's sister and her father were with them, Bog didn't had this warm clouds in his head, but now they were back together with the feeling that he needed to say something, but wasn't able to do so.  
  
He was actually happy that she came back to talk to him again before parting, but there wasn't much talking, just fumbling with their hands, until Marianne could bring herself to talk, "Uhm, I hope you don't mind, that we take Sunny with us. I can imagine you...wanna call him to account for...stealing the Love Potion." she said with a slightly nervous laughter and pointed behind her, so that he understood, that she meant the elf, who invited Dawn to ride with him on the lizard.  
  
"Ahm...well, his crime would be more that...he got into the forest without permission, but...that can wait until tomorrow. Like the rest." he said and rubbed his neck, so his hands had something else to do.  
  
They both didn't know what to say next and whenever their eyes met they looked to the ground or aside.  
  
Then Bog chimed in, "What...what do ye wanna us to do, when we find this..." he didn't find a word that described the person he meant in the way he wanted, so he just pointed down the ravine.  
  
Marianne understood that Roland was the person in question and she didn't had to think long and said with a laughter, "IF you should find him, you are free to beat him until unconsciousness, then you give him to me so I can beat to unconsciousness again and then...we can give him to my father to imprison him."  
  
"Oh, a well-thought-out punishment. A like yer way of thinking, princess." Bog answered with an amused chuckle and bows slightly to her.  
  
"Flatterer." Marianne laughed again and earned a smile from him.  
  
It seemed that they got a bit more comfortable with talking to each other, at least about this kind of subjects.  
  
"I...I hope that it doesn't hurt too much." She pointed to his right arm and the right down wings of him.  Bog had assured her before that he was fine, but after all a big skull crashed on him and the arm and wing didn't look so good.  
  
But he just waved his hand to ease her, "A think my mother already set my arm again and when A rest, ma wings should okay by tomorrow."  
  
"That's...very good to hear." she said and smiled at him.  
  
Marianne was so relieved that nothing worse had happened to him. It took a lot off her mind, when she saw him flying out of the ravine, after she thought he was dead. Bog was the first person in years, where she felt safe to be...just herself. Just life out her strange personality and also be taken seriously. Even when they just know each other for a couple of hours, it felt that she would have missed something very important in her life.  
  
Lost in their thoughts, they both silently gazed at each other, until Marianne noticed that the Light Field army started to march away.  
  
Both their looks became more sad and then Marianne sighed with a forced smile, "Well, time to go. It was...a really nice adventure for me."  
  
"Aye, for me, too." Bog also forced his lips to curl a bit.  
  
She gave him another smile, before she turned away, to follow her people back home.  
  
Bog ground his teeth and before he could really thought through it, he already called her, "Wait, Marianne!" He wanted to ask her her questions, such obvious questions that he didn't know how to say them.  
  
Surprised, the called Fairy turned around again and looked to him. It was the first time she heard him calling by her name. Well, technical he already called her that, but in that moment it was loud and...stressful. Now she could appreciate it, how her name sounds with his accent and the way he said it so shy, his desperate gestures with his hands and the inquiring look in his beautiful blue eyes.  
  
Somehow she knew what he wanted to ask, so she gave him a warm smile and took his hands in hers, realizing again how big they are. "Don't worry Bog. I will accompany my father, when he comes to talk with you tomorrow and I'm sure after that we will have some time to..." she stopped a second. To talk to each other? She just witnessed how bad they both were with that, so she thought about something else, "...to have a rematch. I hate it to leave a draw like that." she said then with a big smirk.  
  
In the first moment, when Marianne took his hand, Bog's wings buzzed out of surprise and his cheeks immediately blushed, as he felt how gently she patted his hands. At first he looked at her with disbelief, but then his face lighten up and he smiled, thankful for the answer on his unspoken questions. "Of course, Tough Girl. When yer desire to be beaten is that high, A won't deny it." His tone became more challenging with the last words.  
  
She answered that with a smirk, "Well, the last time it looked like I held my ground very good."  
  
"Ye caught me by surprise."  
  
"Excuses."  
  
Both laughed. Yes, that were topics they were more comfortable to talk about.  
  
But Marianne really needed to go, so she softly squeezed his hands and gave him a last warm smile, "So. Until tomorrow then."  
  
"Aye, until tomorrow."  
  
With that she let go of Bog and walked backwards in the direction where her people went.  
  
She waved at him, before she turned around and took of in the air.

Bog also waved her until Marianne was farther away. He let his hand sink and rubbed with the other one over it. A warm feeling spread through his body, from the places where she had touched him, while he watched her flying away. Her violet wings gleamed in the sunlight, but not in the way they did last night, when they took of for their flight. Bog liked them more in the moonlight.  
  
He was so deep in his thoughts, that he didn't hear his mother approaching him.  
  
With a small _ow_ he received his staff from her, which she had slammed against his chest. Now she and also Plum stood in front of him, both had crossed arms and an unpleasant look on their faces.  
  
"What?" he asked them confused and also slightly angry, his claws gripping around the staff.  
  
"I can't believe that you let her go like that!" his mother exclaimed and Plum nodded.  
  
"Oh, and what should A've done in yer opinion? Forcing her to stay?" he snarled, totally not in the mood to argue with her, especially when she had the support of Plum.  
  
"No, but you could have said something. About your feelings for her and about the wedding!"  
  
Bog groaned about that statement, trying to hide his blush and rubbed his forehead.  
  
"A have no time for that, mother. Maybe ye forgot, that the castle is just ruins now. We need to find a new place. And A need to prepare myself for the talks tomorrow." he explained and without listening to Griselda's or Plum's complains, he walked past them, to his subjects, who looked expectant at their King.  
  
He took a deep breath and started to command his minions to gather everything they could save and move on.  
  
Thoughts about Marianne and the night needed to be saved for later, at first he had to fulfill his duties as leader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this was WAY longer then I expected it. xD  
> But the hardest part is done and I think it's okay.  
> The next chapter will be shorter, because it's the conversation between Marianne, Dawn and Sunny, where Sunny reveals it to Dawn, that he got the Love Potion for her.


	2. Forgiveness

Midday was almost over when the brigade of Faires arrived at the castle of the Light Fields. It was a big, bulky stone that laid between two trees at the border of a very large flower nurseries. Several windows and entrances let one conclude that there were indeed plenty of floors to harbor royal chambers, guest quarters, a council room, a medical wing, a library, a ballroom and when you fly to the top of the castle, there was a hole in the stone which led the sun shine on the royal garden. Marianne always wondered how solid stone could be formed to such a degree, but even history books just stated that the castle existed since the first fairy king with no mentioned who built it.  
  
When their elf companions separated from the army, to go to their cities, the fairies took the last part of the route by air. King Dagda was persuaded by Marianne to let Sunny go back to his village and that she and Dawn will later talk with him, to answer for his crime towards them. The elf was a childhood friend to both of them after all and with the new situation between him and Dawn it was their right to handle this situation by themselves.  
  
"Try to see it from the bright side. Dawn won't go after every boy she sees from now on."  
  
This argument let her father sigh, still not comfortable with the idea from his youngest daughter to be in a relationship with an elf, but he nodded and agreed to that.  
  
After their arrival, King Dagda ordered his servants to prepare a meal for the royal family. In the meantime Marianne and Dawn had to visit the medical wing, at the request of their father, to got a check-up. The healers didn't found any major injuries and just gave the princesses some unguent for their bruises. As soon as they were dismissed, the sisters went into the dinning room and didn't even wait for their father to accompany them before they started to eat.  
  
Before they went to their chambers to rest, the princesses had to explain to their father, what exactly happened during the night. When the topic comes to Roland using Dawn as shield, the younger princess started to tremble again.  
Since Sunny left her side, she wasn't in a good mood and the memories of that horrible moment, when she had a blade at her throat, seemed to trigger fear in her. She was comforted by her family and Marianne escorted Dawn to her room, so she could rest for now. Then the crown princess went back to continue the conversation with her father.  
  
  
King Dagda massaged his temple, when Marianne entered the room again. "I still can't understand...How could Roland do such a thing? I always thought that...that he really loved you."  
  
"As I told you before Dad, Roland never loved me. He just loved the crown and the army he would get, when he marries me." She took a seat besides him. "He just wanted to use me to get those things. And you saw how far he would go for that. To love dust me. To harm other people...harm Dawn!"  Marianne's voice was insistent.  
  
But her father sighed, "He always assured me, that he would protect the Kingdom, taking good care of it...of you."  
  
With a sad face he looked to her. Marianne bit her lower lip. She knew that her father wanted just the best for her, that she was happy. But he had to accept that Roland was the opposite of it.  
  
"Father, look. I think I've proven very good that I can take care of myself and I'm also very sure that I won't lead the kingdom to it's ruin when I become queen. After all, I have you and Dawn, so I'm not on my own." she said with a confident smile.  
  
This words seemed to reach Dagda's heart for a little smile shaped on his mouth.  
  
"Dawn may have the appearance of your mother, " he said after some seconds of silence. "But you surely inherited her stubbornness."  
  
Proud overcame Marianne. Her father mentioned his wife very rarely and so she was happy to hear that she got something, in her eyes, good from her mother.  
  
"I think I need to learn to accept that things went...very different as I imagined them," Dagda continued and took his daughter's hands. "Hopefully you can forgive me, that it will take some time to adjust myself to those...things."  
  
It seemed that he didn't only referred to Marianne, but also Dawn and Sunny.  
  
"Of course, Dad. No one forces you to make a turn around all of a sudden. I know how much you hold traditions dear and we respect that. But you also have to respect our choices we do." Marianne squeezed his hands softly and in return she got a smile from her father.  
  
"Maybe...we can make a compromise. I will give my best to not interfere in your personal life choices and you will promise to show up to every social event we are invited to." Dagda suggested.  
  
Even when Marianne was happy about the fact, that her father started to accept he things how they are, she had to roll her eyes about this and mumbled softly, "Really Dad?"  
  
"Important lesson for your future as queen," he hold up his forefinger. "Always be ready to strike a compromise, even when the terms aren't always to your liking."  
  
After some moments of struggling with herself, Marianne let out a beaten sigh, "Okay, okay. But only when I can decide, if I want to wear a dress or not."  
  
Her father laughed and took her ins his arms, "I think I can live with that."  
  
The princess enjoyed his embrace and was just happy that things were settled for the moment.  
  
"Still... hopefully you don't mind that I still wish for you ...what were your words?" the king said, after he let go of his daughter, who looked a bit confused at him. "That you find a guy, who holds your hands and you don't want to hit him." he finally found the words and made a lame attempt to imitate a fist punch.  
  
Marianne laughed, as she remembered those words, "I won't suggest you to raise your hopes high about that."  
  
Her father smiled nodding, just glad she didn't neglect it completely.  
  
"Well, for now you should rest awhile, too. It was a long night for you."  
  
"Tell me about it." Marianne made a tired laugh and stood up from her chair. Before she left, she looked back to her father. "I hope you know that I will accompany you tomorrow, when you go to talk with the Bog King."  
  
"I expected so much. And I think it would just beneficial when you take part in this. It will be a good lesson for you. Besides, it seems you and the Bog King get along with each other, that will assure that things won't escalate." he explained, without looking to her, cutting a choke-berry.  
  
She twitched a bit at this statement.  
  
Getting along was maybe an understatement, but she said nothing about that, "Ah, right. Well, see you in the evening."  
  
With those words she left and went into her room.

 

* * *

 

  
After some hours of sleep, Marianne and Dawn went off to the elf village, in which Sunny lived. It was afternoon and the fairies and elves of the region were busy to attend their businesses.  
  
"Seriously, Marianne. I'm fine. I can fly on my own to Sunny, you don't need to come along." Dawn sighed.  
  
Her sister insisted, that she would fly with her together to the village, so she could keep an eye on her and also talk with Sunny. Dawn had no idea what Marianne wanted to talk with him, but it surely would be reduce the time she had with him. Even when they were rarely separated from each other in the last years, it was different now. She had a daydreaming look on her face, just when she thought about her sweet, little elf with this cute, big nose of his.  
  
Marianne just rolled with her eyes, when she saw that look, "Sorry Sis, but I just wanna go sure you are okay. And besides, I need something to do. I just don't want to wait until tomorrow, when I go with Dad to the Dark Forest."  
  
"Riiiight, you wanna distract yourself. So that you don't need to think about Boggy." Dawn smirked at her sister, tasting the sweet revenge for hovering over her so much, as she almost crashed into a stalk.  
  
"W-why would I think about HIM?" Marianne stuttered, when she was back on track.  
  
The younger sister couldn't prevent a chuckle, "Oh, Marianne. It's so obvious. The way you two looked and worried about each other. I remember how I had to push him to escape the castle, because he didn't want to stop looking for you."  
  
"Oh... Really?" Dawn nodded and wanted to tease her more, but then she saw the happy smile that formed on Marianne's face, so she kept silent.  
  
Meanwhile Marianne enjoyed the warm feeling she had on her cheeks and belly.  
  
  
Finally they reached the elf village. The stage and many booths from the festival were still demounted and at one of them they saw the elf with the high combed hair.  
  
"SUNNY!" The called elf startled when he heard his name and before he actually could react, he just saw a pair of rose wings, feeling arms wrapped around him and found himself above the ground and in the arms of his fairy girlfriend.  
  
"Dawn!" he exclaimed happily, his face changing from confusion to happiness when he realized who had tackled him. Both laughed, so happy to see each other again and rubbed their noses together.  
  
Marianne groan and rolled with her eyes. It was not that she wasn't happy for them, but this public display of affection gives her an unpleasant shiver.  
  
"Are you alright Dawn? Did you got some sleep?" Sunny asked, still smiling but also worried.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Everything is okay right now." she assured him and both lost themselves in an embrace. "I'm so glad to hear that."  
  
Marianne had to cough, to get the attention of the two lovebirds.  
  
"Oh, hey Marianne, you are here, too!" Sunny welcomed her, when Dawn put him down.  
  
But his smile slowly vanished, when he saw the look of reproach from the crown princess.  
  
"Yep, just wanted to get sure Dawn made it in one piece without another kidnapping. Aaand I need to have a word with you."  
  
"Uhhh, about...what?" The elf became visible nervous, as he started to fumble with his fingers.  
  
"I think you are more than aware about what." Marianne's voice was low, but also threatening. She had bent herself down to him and crossed her arms. Her anger for the elf wasn't so present as it was the last night, but it was still there.  
  
Sunny just fumbled with his fingers more and more, looking around as if a good answer would just lay around, when he looks intense enough.  
  
Dawn was concerned about the uncomfortableness of her love, so she looked angry at her sister, "Marianne, what's that about?"  
  
She didn't answered right away, but looked down to Sunny, if he was willing to say something.  
  
When the elf just continued starring at the bottom, Marianne sighed, "Dawn, do you remember how you got love dusted?"  
  
At first Dawn just lift one eyebrow in confusion, before she started to recall the events, "Well, I was dancing with Roland, when I turned around and saw Sunny on the stage. Then a little white furred creature attacked him. While he struggled with that thing he accidentally spilled the Love Potion over me."  
  
"Yeah, exactly. It was by accident!" Sunny heckled, to defend himself.  
  
But Marianne just frowned at him and he went silent again.  
  
"And you remember that I told you, that Roland requested someone to get the potion from the Sugar Plum Fairy, right?" she turned back to her little sister, who just nodded. "Don't you wonder why Sunny had the Love Potion and not Roland?"  
  
It took Dawn some seconds to put two and two together until she realized it.  
  
"That's why you had the Love Potion," she said and looked surprised down to Sunny, who appeared to be even smaller than normal. "But why?"  
  
He gulped a lot and It took him several breaths, but then he seemed to collect his courage. He looked up to Dawn with a compunctious face, "I...I wanted to...to use the Love Potion on...on you."  
  
The young princess's face formed into a sad shock.  
  
"I-it's not that I wanted to use it from the beginning. Dawn, I...I love you since years now, but...but I never had the courage to tell you," Sunny tried to defend himself and sounded very frustrated. "It became even harder when you started to flirt around with every fairy guy you saw. I admit, my attempts to show you my love were barely visible, but how could I think I had a chance against all these other boys?" The elf panted heavy, after he had talked himself into rage about those fairy boys, the love potion, but mostly about himself. "I'm so sorry Dawn. I never wanted to do this, really." Sunny whispered sorrowful. He was so sure that Dawn wouldn't forgive him for that and that the happiness he finally found with her would be destroyed, before it really started.  
  
With an aching heart Sunny waited for Dawn to say something, to say what an awful person he was and that she was more than desperately disappointed in him.  
  
But such words weren't spoken.  
  
Instead he saw from the corner of his eyes, that Dawn crouched down and felt how she hugged him. His eyes widened in surprise. That was not the reaction he had expected.  
  
"No Sunny. I have to be sorry." Dawn whispered.  
  
"But..." Sunny looked confused at her, as she let him go and smiled.  
  
"It's my fault. I-I should have shown more tactfulness towards you, so you wouldn't have felt forced to...to do this." The princess sighed and looked very sorry to her elf boyfriend. "Can you forgive me Sunny?"  
  
"Oh, Dawn. There is nothing to be forgiven. Had I told you about...my feelings from the start then nothing of this would have happened." he said and took Dawn into another hug, stroking over her hair.  
  
Thankfully she smiled, "Let's just said we both made mistakes and that we forgive each other."  
  
"Sounds good for me."  
  
Sunny couldn't believe that she forgive him that easily. Right now he felt like the most lucky guy in the whole fields.  
  
Marianne sighed relieved. For her it wasn't such a surprise that Dawn wasn't mad at Sunny. Her little sister wasn't able to bear a grudge, especially towards someone she loved.  
  
After some awhile Sunny let Dawn go and looked sorrowful at the crown princess now, "Marianne, I owe you an apology, too. I shouldn't have listen to Roland. I knew he would have used the potion on you. But..."  
  
"It's okay. Roland can be a very charming and manipulative guy, I know that first-hand." she waved his apology away and smiled.  
  
The little elf looked thankful.  
  
"Besides, you freed Dawn from the Love Potion and Roland didn't get what he wanted. So I have no reason to be mad at you."  
  
When they arrived she was actually still mad at him, but she saw how much Sunny regretted his actions and that was enough for her.  
  
Dawn was so happy that Marianne also forgave Sunny.  
  
She giggled happy and wanted to take her love in her arms again, but they were interrupted by her sister, "Well, _we_ may forgive you. But you still have to answer for your crimes against the Dark Forest. So I want you to come with me and my father, when we meet Bog for the talks."  
  
"What?" Fear spread on the face of the elf.  
  
Marianne had to laugh, "Don't worry, I'm sure he won't kill you or imprison you. Especially when he has no Dungeon at the moment."  
  
"Ohhh, lucky me." Sunny whispered between his grinding teeth.  
  
"Anyway, justice need to be done and we have to respect the rules from the Dark Forest."  
  
The elf sighed anxiously, he was not very thrilled to go near the Dark Forest or even meet the Bog King again. But it was unavoidable, so he took a deep breath, "Okay, I will come along. But only when you promise me that I won't get eaten by one of the goblins."  
  
Marianne laughed, "I promise."  
  
Dawn put a hand on Sunny's shoulder to relax him, "Don't worry, I'm very sure that Boggy won't be rough with you."  
  
He gave her an insecure smile.  
  
"Well, now that this is resolved I will leave you two alone. I'm sure you want to hang out and...do whatever people in love do." Marianne said, not knowing what this exactly would be.  
  
Both Sunny and Dawn had to chuckle.  
  
"Sure, Marianne. I will be home before dinner."  
  
The older sister nodded and turned around to fly off into the air, but Dawn put her hand on her shoulder before she could do so and whispered in her ear, "When I come home, will you tell me what's the thing about this little, blue flower you took from the forest?"  
  
"Uhhh... ," Marianne looked surprised and also bashful at her sister.  
  
"It's from Boggy, right?" Dawn said giggling.  
  
"I...ahm..."  
  
"It's okay, we will talk later about that. See you."  
  
And with those words Dawn went back to Sunny.  
  
They walked away, chatted laughing and hold hands.  
  
Marianne rolled her eyes and groaned. Sometimes Dawn could get a bit too curious for her taste.  
  
When the two went out of her sigh, she finally turned around and flew back to the castle. After all, she needed to gave thought to some matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I thought this chapter would be short. Then worried fairy dad happened. xD  
> Hopefully you guys liked this one. I really wanted to write down this talk between Sunny and Dawn (and Marianne).  
> Even when Dawn is a very forgiving character, I needed to address this matter.  
> Must say Dawn and Sunny are much harder to write then Marianne and Bog. I'm much better with awkward couples. xD  
> The next chapter will be about Marianne and Bog, where they recall some events that happened during the movie, how they felt about it and how they wanna deal with their current feelings for the respectively other.


	3. A little Spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, took me several days and modification until I was finished and happy with this chapter.  
> Writing about inner monologes/thoughts is hard, I really hope that everything is well structured.
> 
> Marianne and Bog try to sort out their feelings, but that's more complicated as they imagined.

At first, Marianne wanted to fly over the grass-green landscape of her kingdom, while she tried to sort her thoughts and get control back of her feelings. But after her near-crash with some other fairies she decided that her chambers were a much safer place to do this.  
  
Without taking any detours, Marianne flew to the open windows of her room, where she was greeted by her three pixies with happy chirps.  
  
"Haha, hello you three. Yes, I'm fine. No trip to the Dark Forest, just as I promised you." she answered the following worried twitter, that only she could understand.  
  
Pleased with this answer, the pixies float around the princess giggling and followed her into the room.  
  
Marianne let out an exhausted sigh, when she let herself fell into her flower bed. She still was tired from the happenings of the last night, the few hours of sleep didn't help as much as she hoped they would. If she wasn't so exhausted, Marianne would have liked to train with her pixies or with some dummies, just to avoid being alone with the emotional chaos in her mind. An annoyed groan came out of her, but before she could sink into her thoughts, she was interrupted by her pixies.  
  
Two of them - the blue one named Mona and the green one with the name Angie - hold her sword belt in front of her face and the third -  with magenta colors called Rosy - pointed at the empty scabbard with an inquiring expression. Guilt filled Marianne's guts as she remembered that her sword laid under the rubble of Bog's former castle, with hardly a chance to retrieve it, just because of this idiotic Roland. It was a present from her deceased mother, the only keepsake from her, besides the pixies and now it was gone. Marianne rose from her laying pose and kneeled in her rose bed, giving a sad look towards her three little friends.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry. It got lost in the battle. I don't think it's possible to get it back and even if, I doubt it will be in one piece." Frustrated she ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
The handmaiden looked in shock at their mistress. Marianne had always taken good care of the sword, even in the years she wasn't using it, so they could hardly believe that she simply...lost it. But on the other, if it really would be that simple, Marianne would have done everything she could to get her sword back.  
  
"I really hope you can forgive me." Marianne whispered sorrowful, as the pixies still didn't make a sound.  
  
The sword wasn't precious only to her, but also to them. Marianne's mother once had saved the three of them and since that day they had served her, had loved her, just as they did Marianne these days. Seeing her like this made it clear to the pixies, that Marianne was more then mournful about the loss of the beloved keepsake and they didn't want her to be in such kind of state. Just as her mother surely hadn't want. The three of them looked at each other and nodded, before they gave a comforting chirp from them and smiled gentle at their mistress.  
  
Marianne's face lighted up a bit, as she saw that her pixies weren't mad at her.  
  
While Mona and Angie laid the sword belt back on the chair in front of the table with the mirror, Rosy stayed with Marianne and stroked over her wisp of hair to comfort her more.  
  
The two pixies wanted to float back to the bed, but then Mona spotted a black flower on the desk. Marianne had it put there, when she arrived from the Dark Forest, but the handmaidens didn't know what it was about, just that it seemed important to her. With a whispering chatter the pixie pointed to the flower and Angie followed her hint. She clapped her hands and nodded enthusiastic. So the both of them took the flower and brought it to their mistress, hoping this would light up her mood more.  
  
And it had the desired effect. When they put the flower into Marianne's hand, a happy smile formed on her face. Rosy tilted her head in confusion, but then realized the intention of her friends.  
  
Gently Marianne stroke over the petals of the little flower, that brought back sweet memories of a magical moment.  
  
Normally she wasn't a sentimentalist, but her heart had made a happy twist, when she found the flower, still hanging in the spider web where she lost it and of course, she took it with her home. Marianne had to laugh at herself a bit, that she gave this flower so much importance.  
  
But besides the symbolic it held for her, it was also such a pretty little thing. No flower in the Light Fields had such a dark color and still looked so gorgeous. Again Marianne laughed silently. This would be with no doubt become her new favorite flower.  
  
The pixies were glad to see their mistress's mind wandering from the lost of the sword to something, that seemed to contented her. But they couldn't hold back their curiosity and so they chirped at her, to get her attention.  
  
Marianne jerked a bit, when she was startled out of her thoughts.  
  
"Uh, you ask what's with the flower?" she repeated the chirped question and got nods as answer. Unsure how to reply, she chewed her bottom lip, before answering, "Well, it's...it's a gift. From...from a friend."  
  
But her handmaidens didn't seem to be satisfied with this answer. This couldn't be all, not after Marianne was so gentle and looked dreamy at it. With crossed arms they peered at her with their little black eyes.  
  
Marianne rolled her eyes and groaned. Why was everybody so curious about her in this matters?  
  
"Fine. It's...it's from a guy, who...who I...maybe...l-like?"  
  
She really meant it to say it as a question. Did she really like Bog? After all, he had kidnapped her sister, had threaded her people and even wanted to kill her. Marianne had to gulp and shivered from fear of the memory, how Bog was about to crush her skull with his staff. This image would never leave her, that was for sure.  
  
However, she wasn't afraid of him anymore, not after she saw how gentle he could be and that he cared for her. Even when Marianne could take care of herself very good, she was more than glad that Bog had protected her from Roland's attempt to use the Love Potion on her, something she couldn't have protect herself from alone.  
  
And that just after he thought she had played with him, luring him away from his castle so the Fairy Army could attack. Bog's shocked face was still in her mind and even it was not her fault, Marianne felt very guilty. Most likely he had felt the same kind of betrayal as she had, when she discovered Roland's disloyalty. Of course, Marianne would never compare herself to Roland, but she was still so thankful, that Bog believed her in the end. This trust really warmed her hearth.  
  
The sniggering from her handmaidens startled Marianne out of her thoughts.  
  
"What?" she asked, but the three just continued sniggering and then floated around her head, chirping in a singing tone.  
  
Again Marianne groaned and waved her hands around, to hush the pixies, "You interpret too much into this. I said I may _like_ him, not... not that I _love_ him."  
  
Even when they drew back, the pixies still giggled, happy about that fact, that their mistress finally showed interest in a guy again, after the burst wedding from a year ago. But when Marianne stood up from her bed and gave them a death glare, they flew out of the window, to escape her wrath, still giggling.  
  
Annoyed, Marianne sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. That was one thing that annoyed her about love the most: A female couldn't just like a male, without everyone saying they have feelings for each other.  
  
Well, _maybe_ she had feelings for Bog, _maybe_ she tends to slobber over his sky-blue eyes and YES _maybe_ the ineffectiveness of the Love Potion was an undeniable proof that her feelings were true, but nevertheless, she wasn't ready to let her heart take the lead again, not now. It was still too broken to be trustworthy, too deep were the wounds that Roland's treachery had caused and no real time to heal. Whenever this shammer tried to charm her again, the wounds got deeper. Now that he was gone for good, it would have finally the time to rest, to heal.  
  
On the other hand, however, her heart hadn't felt so good since her fateful day, when she was with Bog. Even when they sang together while their fight, it felt more complete as when she had sung love-songs together with Roland. They were indeed a good match, equal in battle, at giving snarky comments at each other and in their dislike for love.  
  
And Bog respected her. Not for being a princess, but for her skills and her determination. He was also the first one who said, that he liked her...different character and she was more than happy about that. Of course, her family loved her, but both her father and Dawn didn't do their best to disguise the fact, that they wished that Marianne would be a bit more...normal. Around her people, Marianne felt always so out of place and sometimes even unwelcome. But with Bog, she could be just herself and do the things she liked, without being judged by him.  
  
Maybe Marianne really should seek out Bog's help to heal her broken heart.  
  
Another frustrated groaned came from Marianne and she wandered in her room back and forth. All these maybes drove her crazy. Nothing was certain, it could go very well or end in a disaster.  
  
She wished she could hit something. Best would be Roland.  
  
Marianne took a deep, relaxing breath and massaged her temple. As she had suspected, all this thinking about her feelings just gave her a headache. It was no use, she had to let it go for now. The best would be to wait and see how things will go on from now. Maybe her heart misinterpreted friendship with love and all her feelings were just products from the magical moment in that night.  
  
Besides, Bog lived so much longer with the bitterness of a broken heart than herself, it was unlikely that just after a night his hearth would have opened to her, a fairy that he hardly knew. Her own was broken for just a year and still able, to her distress, to feel and want love. But Bog had blocked his heart for so many years, only knowing grievousness and loneliness. Marianne couldn't be sure, if he had the same feelings for her and she really didn't want to scare him away with any kind of confession that came too rushed.  
  
And there was also the matter of their races. They were completely unlike in so many ways and didn't know anything about each other. Their biology, culture, social and beauty standards, everything was surely very different. Marianne had seen what was beautiful for Bog's eyes, but for her it was only ugly. To be honest, he was also no eye candy by fairy standards, not that it really mattered for her, but it could be also the other way around and he found her zero attractive by goblin standards.  
  
Again, Marianne's finger were at her temple to massage it. She knew why she preferred actions above thinking, it rarely hurt so much like that and it was easier to handle.  
  
At least she came to a decision for now: She had feelings for Bog, but if they would stay the way they were now, time will show. Anyhow, she had promised her father to consider such thing, when she found a guy, who could hold her hand and she didn't want to hit him. And with Bog it was such a case. But for now she would be just friendly and learn as much as possible about him.  
  
Marianne's eyes wandered to her bed, where the little blue flower still laid at the front end of it.

A defeated sigh came from her, but she smiled and laid back into her bed. Even when she had decided to stop thinking about love and feelings, she still enjoyed the warmth she got from this little spark in her heart, as she hold the flower closer to herself.  
  
She remembered all these wonderful things that Bog had shown her and she was eager to learn more of the Dark Forest, as well about their King. She had to chuckle as she remembered how the dreaded Bog King became all flustered and shy back then, when they revealed their stories to each other. Oh, but he could become so charming, too, the little flower in her hand proved that.  
  
Marianne wondered what would have happened, when Roland wouldn't have appeared. When they were all alone, lost in the magic of the moment and gazing at each other...  
  
With a loud gasp, Marianne brought herself back to reality as she realized where her thoughts were wandering. She jammed her flushing face into the petals of her flower bed and snarled at herself.  
  
There she wanted to be professional about it and now she was enthusing about the possible outcomes of that moment like a little, love-stricken fairy girl.  
  
An inner voice chided her for being such a hypocrite, after all it wasn't the first time. Didn't she tell Bog she wouldn't trust anybody, but minutes later she allowed him to carry her through a thornbush? Well, maybe it was that they just were so similar, that she had the feeling she could trust him or it was her curiosity to see more of the Forest.  
  
Marianne rolled on her back.  
  
Yes, it was definitely the curiosity, she told herself.  
  
The Dark Forest was a new terrain for her and with a guide like Bog, she wouldn't risk it to get harmed and also got to see the best places there.  
  
She wished that more people could see this mysterious beauty of the Forest, that was so feared by her nation. Should the talks proceed smoothly tomorrow, maybe she could bring up the topic of continuing diplomatic talks, to stabilize trades and friendship between the two kingdoms and then others could experience, that the Dark Forest not only domiciled horror, but also marvels.  
  
Deep in her thoughts about how she could bring the two kingdoms together, Marianne laid in her bed and starred at the ceiling, until it was time for her to leave the room for dinner.  
  
Dawn was surprisingly on time when the food was served. Cheerfully she chattered about all the things she did with Sunny today, much to her father's chagrin. Besides that, the atmosphere was pleasant and no bigger discussions had been unleashed.  
  
When they had finished dinner and went back to their chambers, Dawn followed her sister to land in front of her and looked with a very curious expression, "So...about that flower." Marianne just rolled her eyes and groaned.

 

* * *

  
  
The moon was already rising, when the Bog King sat down for the first time on this day. He didn't allow himself the luxury of a break, until all important tasks were taken care off.  
  
Firstly, the Goblin King had lead his subjects to an abandoned rabbit hole under a big tree, where everyone could fit in and also store the stuff they could save from the castle in the first place.  
  
Then he arranged four troops, who should look for a new trunk or something similar, that could become the new castle. Bog also sent out couriers to call architects and termite trainers to this place.  
  
The rest of the day he spent in the ravine, where he and some other Goblins searched in the ruins for something to salvage. They had to be careful, since the whole area was unstable and they could get hit by rubble. Luckily the casualties were low, the worst was his aching shoulder, that was hit by some debrises. But when he looked down to his feet and saw the little package, where he put the trinket in he had searched for, he smiled pleased.  
  
Bog leant his staff against the little stone, he was sitting on in the outside, and cracked his neck, to relax himself. Besides his newly damaged shoulders, his right arm and wing still hurt from the collapse of his castle and really needed some rest right now. So, with an exhausted sigh, he made himself comfortable on the stone and looked up into the dark sky.  
  
Of course Bog didn't let himself rest, because he had to fulfill his duties in the first place, but it was also a welcoming distraction not to think about the last night.  
  
Now that his body was resting, the full impact of feelings and thoughts hit him. Images flickered before his inner eyes and emotions rustled through his guts like a whirlwind. The Bog King snarled quietly and put his fingers on his bridge of his nose. He hated chaos. Chaos was so hard to contain and at the moment he wouldn't have known where to start.  
  
Instead, Bog tried to concentrate himself on the meeting with the Fairy King tomorrow.  
  
He still hadn't figured out, what kind of demands he would claim towards the Light Fields for trespassing and the destruction of his castle. For the former, the little elf was responsible.  
  
Normally Bog would have decided for execution or imprisonment, but those weren't wise nor possible options at the moment. But what else could the elf do, to account for his crime? After a while, he remembered the lizard, that was somehow tamed by the elf. This lizard could be indeed useful when building a new castle and while the little elf was with it, the Goblins could teach him not to do such kind of crimes again.  
  
Bog made an evil and pleased grin.  
  
The next he had to think about was the army, that also trespassed and some of them even destroyed his castle. This was much easier to decide. They also could help building the new fortress, a few more beings with wings would make it much easier and faster.  
  
Now he was curious what kind of demands the Fairy King would claim. Bog couldn't imagine that the Dark Forest had much to offer for the Light Fields. With a mental shrug he put that thought apart. Tomorrow he would see what the King of the Light Fields had in my mind.  
  
The last one, was this blonde fairy knight, who was responsible for all that chaos in the first place. To Bog's disappointment they hadn't found him in the ravine and also nowhere else in the area. Maybe he was already back to the Light Fields, what he really hoped was not the case. He wanted to follow Marianne's suggestion and punch every tooth out of that Roland-guy's boastfully smile, before returning him to his people.  
  
_Marianne..._  
  
Bog snarled. There went his concentration.  
  
He couldn't believe that his heart could feel such kind of desire for the fairy princess, especially after just one night.  
  
A bloody fairy!  
  
In all these yeas he had built an impenetrable wall around his heart, so that it never was able to feel or even hope for love again. But this fairy had manage to go through this wall, step by step.  
  
When they had their first confrontation at the elf festival, he was already impressed by her feisty and bold attitude towards him, something he never had imagined to see from a fairy.  
  
Oh, and that punch!  
  
Unconsciously, Bog rubbed over his left cheek. The princess was more of a threat then their guards were, he realized that when it needed four goblins to actually tame her, while the two guard were knocked out by just Thang and Stuff.  
  
Marianne surprised him even more, when she crashed through his skylight, all on her own to attack him and rescue her sister. Bog remembered her battle cry, that sounded like the one of a Banshee who was ready to bring death to those who stood in her way. A shiver ran down his spine, not sure if it was because of fear or actually...arousal?  
  
Quickly he shook that thought away, before the color ins his face could change.  
  
He had to admit, that he grew more fond of the fairy, after their battle. It was such a long time since Bog had a good fight like that and an equal opponent. Her snarky remarks were quite to his liking and he looked forward to hear them again. She was so different from the kinds of fairy he had hear about and also witnessed with Dawn. Just alone by the character, he would deemed her as goblin, but something else let him believe that she was actually a creature from the Dark Forest: her wings. In normal light they were already of a darker tone other than her sister's pale ones. But when the moonlight illuminated them, they became a mystical play of violet, purple and blue colors. He had to admit, that he was fascinated by them.  
  
At this point, Marianne had already earned the respect and sympathy of the Bog King, but he had never imagined that she, despite her breeziness, could be so kind, especially towards such a hideous beast like him. When Sugar Plum revealed his past, her encouragement was the last reaction he expected and she even told him her own heartbroken story. In his eyes, Bog didn't deserved this trust and kindness from her. Nevertheless, Marianne was so liberal to him and didn't hesitate long before she allowed him to take her through this dangerous thornbush.  
  
Bog shivered again, but this time it was caused by the pleasant memory of her being so close to him. His body seemed to ache for the feeling of her warm skin against his cold scales, it almost abashed him. But since the day he had banned love from the Dark Forest, he never exchanges any kind of caress with anybody. So it was no wonder, that his body reacted such as the one of a lad who touched a female for the first time.  
  
Well, technically that really applied to him.  
  
Once again, Bog snarled at himself. He really wasn't the kind of guy for such things, even alone with his thoughts he felt humiliated in some way. His hand pressed against is face and he massaged his temple with his fingers.  
  
Too gladly, he would have liked to lock away all this huddle of emotions and stop thinking about it. But that was no real option. Tomorrow Bog would see Marianne again and he still didn't know, how to handle this situation, how to deal with her or what he should say to her. Before their parting he already couldn't manage to say what he wanted and he doubted it would go better the next time.

Another though crossed Bog's mind: What when he managed to tell her how he felt, but she wouldn't return the feelings? Or even worse, got disgusted and run away from him. This wouldn't be a surprise, after all it was what he had been told himself the last years, that others were disgusted by his appearance.

Maybe Marianne was kind to him, but he couldn't imagine that she saw more than a good sparring-partner in him.

Bog remembered the appearance of her former love and that just confirmed himself. It was impossible, that a fairy princess like her could fall for a goblin like him, someone who was more than far away from the fairy beauty standars then any other goblin.  
  
Moreover, Bog had almost killed Marianne.

Guilt clenched his guts. Back then he had to defend his reputation and show, fairy and goblins alike, that no one could just punch him and get away with it. It was sheer luck that he hadn't smashed her skull with his staff. There was no way that Marianne could completely forgive him for that, let alone getting feelings for him.

A defeated sigh came out of his mouth and he massaged his temples more.

Bog was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice how he was approached. When he registered a blue shimmer behind his closed eyes, he groaned very quiet, not pleased by the person that was besides him.

"You know, normally it's the heart that hurts and not the head when you are in love." Sugar Plum said, floating on her back and her arms behind her head.

"What do ye want?" Bog just asked, without reaction to her comment or even looking to her.

"Oh, just looking how the former love despising Bog King is doing, now that the cold shell around his heart is broken and full of love again." A little bit of mockery was audible

Bog clenched his teeth. He really regretted it, that he spared the Sugar Plum Fairy and allowed her to be free again, not without her promising to never create a Love Potion. But instead of going her own ways now, she stayed with the Goblins and even formed a friendship with Griselda. Whenever he had seen the two together in the last hours, they were discussing something and Bog had a dreadful idea what it was about.  
  
"A have no idea why this should be any of yer business." he now looked to her with a menacing face.  
  
"Well, love is my business after all, even when I don't work on Love Potions anymore," she gave him a look of reproach, "And you two are such an interesting couple. Soooo different, but also soooo similar. My instinct tells me to observe this and maybe...help you out a bit." Plum gave him am aware smile. By now she floated upright again and had her arms crossed.  
  
"There is _nothing_ to observe!" he barked huffish at her and stood up in his anger.  
  
"Oh, please!" Plum laughed amused and waved her hand. "It's so obvious that you two love each other. Remember when this blond fairy tried to love dust the girl? It didn't work and you know very well why. That's an undeniable for her feelings for you." Bog was about to snap at her to shut her up, but she just continued, "And don't try to tell me that you don't have the same feelings for her," she poked against his chest. "I could see how you literally melt under her gaze, when I asked you to set me free." She floated a bit back and laid her finger against her cheek and made a smug smile. "You've got to hand it to her. That's something hard to achieve with this thick cold shell of yours."  
  
Bog just stood there, snarling. He wanted to bark at her, deny everything that she just had said. But he didn't. The Goblin King was too tired for this and he knew that it had no use against her. After all, she just told the truth, even when he never would admit it openly.  
  
_Yes_ , he really melted under the pleading gaze of Marianne. He couldn't hold his ground against the look of Dawn, but with Marianne's warm and burning eyes it was far worse.  
  
And _yes_ , he was fully aware why the love potion didn't work on Marianne. Still, he couldn't truly believe it. He didn't want to raise his hope.  
  
With an almost silent sigh, that was tired and defeated, Bog turned around to grab his staff and the little package.  
  
"Even when it's true what ye say about the Love Potion...It's implausible that she would have such strong...feelings for me, just after a night. That would be ridiculous, especially after what A did to her and her sister." he said in his old cynical manner. This was his best way to hide the despair he currently felt, no way he would show that to Sugar Plum or to anybody else.  
  
"Nobody said something about a strong feeling." the blue fairy said after some seconds of silence.  
  
Confused by this statement, Bog looked over his shoulder. There was no smugness or mockery in her face, just earnestness. "Care to explain?"  
  
The Sugar Plum Fairy started to talk in a mysterious tone and waved her fingers around. "Love...is something really strange. It's hard to control, to explain or to understand. There is no definition where love starts and ends, it's all an individual happening. _But_ , what is certain...is that it doesn't matter how strong or how big the love is. A little spark, is more enough. As long as it's really and truly it can grow to a wildfire."  
  
Irritated by this cryptic explanation Bog raised one brow. He hated it when Sugar Plum talked in riddles and in the moment he wasn't in the mood nor in the condition to think much about it, so he turned around wordless and was about to go into the darkness of the Forest. At the moment he just wanted to be alone, back in the comfortableness of the shadows.  
  
Bugged out Sugar Plum groaned and let her shoulders down. "What I try to say is, that she maybe just starts to develop feelings for you. But it was already enough to break the spell. Even when the love isn't so present at the moment, it is more than true. It can grow and blossom into something wonderful!" she yells after him.  
  
For a moment Bog stopped.  
  
But then his grip around his staff tighten and without a word he flew into the night.  
  
Sugar Plum clenched her fist and muttered miffed, "Bitter hard-head, never listens." before she went back into the carves.  
  
  
  
Bog flew to a very high tree, which was a bit offside from the current camp of the goblins. There was a hole in which he came to rest, luckily it was big enough, that he could sit comfortable in it with his long limbs. He leant staff and packed against the wall on his side and looked outside into the night.  
  
He was so tired. Tired of today's stress and tired of the struggle inside him.  
  
Plum's words still rang in his ears: _'It can grow and blossom into something wonderful.'_  
  
"Or it gets tear apart and leave nothing more than agony." Bog murmured to himself, while his gaze went to his clawed hand. The hand in which Marianne had put her trust into, which she took with no big hesitation.  
  
With a sigh he pinched his hand. It really had no use. He needed some sleep, so he crossed his arms before his chest and leant his head against the wall.  
  
Maybe tomorrow things were more clear to him. He would see how Marianne would react, if there was a chance and if he really was ready to expose his heart again. Everything would be so much easier, when he just stopped with it, put the protective bitterness around his heart again and let the fairies just be fairies. But he had learned that it never was so easy. He would take the challenge that life had imposed on him.


	4. Hurry and Crash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first it was planned that the meeting would occur in this chapter, but I got a bunch of ideas what happened before, so I will put the actual meeting in the next one.  
> Also this chapter took me way too long as it should be. Little tip: Never stop writing in the middle of a scene, I had to delet so many sentences, because I didn't know anymore what I wanted to do. |D  
> I often change the POV from Marianne to Bog during their scenes together, I really hope it isn't so bad.  
> And I also finally decided on the way I write Bog's accent out. In his normal state it's just some few words (I=A, You/Your=Ye/Yer, My=Ma, Little=Wee) and only when he gets nervous/aroused, his accent will get thicker.

"Come on Dad, we will be late for the meeting!" Marianne fluttered around her father, who walked unhurried the corridor along to get to the main entrance of the castle.  
  
"Marianne, why are you so impatient? It's unusual from you to insist on punctuality," the King looked critical at his daughter. "I wish you would be so dutifully when it comes to your royal responsibilities."  
  
She groaned and rolled with her eyes, "Well, council meetings are very boring, especially because I don't have something to say yet. _This_ is important! It's been YEARS since the Light Fields had peaceful talks with the Dark Forest. This could be the first step for diplomacy between the two kingdoms." Marianne's voice went from annoyance to enthusiasm.  
  
"Woha, calm down there my dear," her father stopped and raised his hands appeasing. "You are rushing into things. This is just a talk about compensation, no peace-offering. We will meet, we will agree upon something and then everything will be back to normal."  
  
"Dad, how can you miss out on this chance?" Marianne said disappointed and landed beside him. "There _need_ to be changes and the best time is now, as long as the Bog King is willing to listen us. Dawn's kidnapping was the result of the absence of communication between our kingdoms. When we start real and continuing negotiations, such things can be prevented and we don't have to fear the Dark Forest anymore."  
  
"But, Marianne. I don't think -" the Fairy King wanted to object, but his daughter didn't stop in her argumentation, "Besides, trades with the Dark Forest could be very profitable for the Light Fields. I'm sure there are many usefull materials for us, that we can craft into armors or tools," Her face darkened a bit and she sighed mournful. "Think about the disease we have no cure for. You know that our healers could easily make an antidote with the herbs from the Dark Forest," Marianne hugged herself and her gaze went on the floor. "No one would have to suffer from it anymore."  
  
Dagda had to bite on his lips and he looked just as dolorous as her. All resistance vanished in this moment, the parental instinct to comfort his little girl was stronger than his conscientiousness as King and he took her in an embrace, which she thankfully returned.  
  
"My dear girl," he said after some seconds, in which they gave solace to each other and leaned back to look at her. "I...Your points...are very valid, I have to admit. But...it would be hard to convince the council to do this step. There are many prejudices and many of the councilors prefer to stick on the old ways."  
  
"Oh Dad, you know me. When did a little challenge ever discouraged me to get my ways?" Marianne smiled confident and took her father's hands in hers. "As future Queen I need to get the council under control, need them to understand that there have changes to be made. When we don't move forward it can happen that we fall back one day."  
  
The Fairy King sighed halting. Yes, he know how stubborn Marianne was and that she somehow would find a way to make the council at least listen to her. And yes, the problem of stagnation in the Light Fields become bigger and bigger with the years. They need new resources, new medicines or otherwise the kingdom could run itself into ruin. He wouldn't witness it anymore and Marianne probably as well. She wasn't even a Queen yet, but already thought about the problems of future generations, while he and the council were still stuck in the past. Dagda couldn't help but felt proud of his little girl, which wasn't so little anymore.  
  
"You are right Marianne. It won't be an easy course for you, but when it's that what you want for your future kingdom I'm certain you will fight your way through it."  
  
He smiled generously at her, when proud let Marianne's face light up. This trait she had really gotten from her mother. The stubbornness and the will to fight for the things they believe in. Even when their ways to fight were different. It would be hard for Dagda, but the events with Roland had shown him, that he need to trust his daughter's decision. Nothing good would come out, if the tries to fight her down. To let her rule the way she thought was the best and giving her his advises was the most beneficial solution in this matter.  
  
But even when he was positive that diplomacy between the two kingdoms were good and even when Marianne should manage it somehow to convince the council, there was still a third party involving this.  
  
"Nonetheless, with all respect to your negotiating skills...but are you sure that the Bog King would agree to diplomacy? All we know about the Goblins is, that they are vicious and wild creatures. To imagine them sitting in a council and discuss important matters..." Dagda let the sentence trail off to underline his incredulity.  
  
Marianne had to laugh had that. Two days ago she would have agreed and said that it was hardly imaginable that Goblins were capable of a civilized discussion, but she had faith in them, especially in their King.  
  
"Don't worry about that Dad. Goblins are more than simply wild creatures and when the meeting ends on good terms today, I'm very sure the Bog King won't be so averse to consider it at least."  
  
_"And should he still be, I will think about something to change his mind."_ Marianne thought and the ghost of a wicked smile was on her lips.  
  
With a sigh her father patted her hand and nodded. "If you say so. It won't do any harm to try it, as long as no war will start from it." He gave her an attempt of an optimistic smile, which she returned with a truly one.  
  
Then, he let go of her hands and started walking again. "But for now, we will get over with this meeting. If we delay any longer, we really will be late."  
  
That snapped Marianne bag into her hurry in which she was, before the argument with her father started.  
  
"Uhhh, that's really not good. When we are too late he could think we just wanted to trick him or worse! And we also have to pick up Sunny."  
  
She unfold her wings and was already in the air, before turned around to her father again. "I will go ahead and tell Sunny to take his lizard, then he is as fast as you and your guards. Would also better when I meet up with the Bog King to tell him you will be late."  
  
"But, Marianne-" Her father wanted to stop her, still a bit worried. To meet the Bog King as a group was one thing, but alone? And he also would have guards with him.  
  
But she just shrugged unworried.  
  
"Hey, you said yourself I get along with him. So nothing will happen to me. Just be sure not to take too long."  
  
And with those words Marianne disappeared behind the next curve of the corridor.  
  
For some moments Dagda only stood there, baffled from the rush of his daughter. But then she shook his head with a smile. The energy of the youth. He had to admit that he missed it to have the stamina to just fly off into the world. These days he had to relay on his guards to carry him.  
  
Speaking of guards, the Fairy King remembered he still needed to gather those who would escort him to the meeting with the Bog King. To lose not any more time, he walked a bit faster to the main gate.

 

* * *

   
It took Marianne only half the time to the elf village of Sunny than the last time. Well, maybe it was because she flew twice as fast.  
  
She headed for the house of her elf friend, who was already outside, his backpack on his shoulders and took care of his new pet lizard. On the side of the house was a compound, which was normally used for the dragonflies, but it was big enough for the lizard. Sunny also had gathered strong ropes, so his new pet wouldn't run escape when he wasn't around.  
  
He seemed to be very occupied, because when Marianne landed and called for him, he jerked around with a little scream. "Oh, it's you Marianne," Sunny said relieved and took a deep breath. "Is it...is it time to go?"  
  
Marianne wasn't able to hold back a mischievous smirk, when she looked down to him, crossing her arm. "Uh huh, it is." It really wasn't nice from her, but she still was amused by Sunny's obvious discomfort. Good so. Even when she wasn't mad at him anymore, he still deserved some punishment.  
   
Sunny fumbled with his fingers, looked around and then back to Marianne with an inquiring expression.  "Sooo.... where's your father? And the Guards? Can't imagine he let you go to the Dark Forest alone."  
  
A huffed laughter came from Marianne. "He surely wouldn't. I'm just heading ahead, because he takes too long. Which is why I am here."  
  
Her gaze went to the lizard and she walked to it. At first the animal wasn't so pleased with her approaching and grumbled at her, but when the crown princess put her hand on the muzzle to pet it, the lizard calmed down and growled in a pleased tone.  
  
"It would delay my father and his guards even more, when they have to pick you up. That's why I want you to take your lizard-" "Lizzy." "Right, Lizzy. I want you to ride on her to the Dark Forest. You know where the entrance is and you could be even earlier there than my father." She stopped to pet Lizzy and looked down to Sunny, who slouched his shoulders.  
  
"Not sure, if I really want that..."  
  
"Hey, the guards won't take that long. Besides, I'm sure Lizzy will protect you from the evil Goblins." Marianne said snickering and also Sunny had to grin at that.  
  
"Okay, fine. I will get her ready and will head out as soon as I can."  
  
"Good boy. See you then." she said, after she gave him a friendly pat on the head and was about to flew off again, when the elf started to talk again.  
  
"Uh, Marianne?"  
  
"Yeah Sunny?" She turned around and looked at him, how he scratched with his shoes on the ground.  
  
"I...I just wanted...to apologize to you. I know, I already did and you said you aren't mad at me, but...still have the feeling I should do more. I already do my best to make it up with Dawn, even when she forgave me, too. I really messed up things and I shouldn't be forgiven so easily." Sunny sighed frustrated. He know he would get some punishment from the Bog King, but it didn't feel right that his two best friends just let him go away with what he had done, how he was willing to manipulate them both just to get what he wanted.  
  
With a gentle smile, Marianne kneeled down to the elf and put her hands on his shoulders. He looked uncertain to her.  
  
"Listen Sunny. I really appreciate it, that you want to make it up with me, but that's not done by a little favor or so. Even when I'm not mad at you and I'm very thankful that you saved Dawn _and_ me, my trust in you is a bit...broken," she could see that this gave him a sting in his heart. "So you have to have to work on getting my full trust back. It currently only goes so far that I rely on you to make Dawn happy. Should she ever shed a sad tear because of you, I will make sure that you will be the shortest elf in history. Understood?" Her expression didn't change much, but the grip of her hands became more tight.  
  
Sunny had to gulp at that threat, but nodded. "Totally understood."  
  
"Very good. Now stop being such a worrywart or Dawn will scold me for making her _Sunny-Wunny_ all sad and stuff." Marianne said with a smirk and gave him a friendly tap on the shoulders, before she stood up again.  
  
"Okay, will try." Sunny said and by the mention of Dawn, his face lighted up a lot.  
  
Marianne nodded pleased. "And now shoo! There is a Dark King waiting for us at the border. He won't be pleased when we let him wait too long."  
  
At the mention of the Bog King Sunny's face good darker in an instance, but he still nodded and darted away to get Lizzy ready.  
  
With a snicker she watched the elf going in a hurry, before she leapt into the air. She had talked longer with him as she intended to do, so she needed to put up some speed, to get to the borders in time. The Bog King wasn't know for his patience after all.  
  
_Bog_.  
  
Marianne's heart started to flutter at the thought of seeing him again. Just a few hours before she was totally calm, but as the time of the meeting moved closer, her excitement became bigger and bigger. Maybe she couldn't spar with him, but she would still see him and hopefully talk with him, about whatever it didn't matter to her. Oh she was also nervous, of course. The Fairy didn't know if she would get this sparkling and hot feeling, to have those butterflies in her stomach again, when she was with him the last time. And she didn't know, if he was also excited to see her, if he would look at her with those blue eyes in the same tender way he did in their night together...  
  
Caught in her daydream, Marianne didn't noticed that she flew lower and lower, until one of her feet got caught by a twig and with a surprised and shrill screech she was dragged down into a lilac bush. Luckily the flowers braked her fall and after some seconds of struggling she managed it to jump out of the bush and hovered in the air again. Groaning in annoyance, she wiped the little twigs and petals from her clothes. She really need to stop to think about Bog's eyes when she was flying. After a deep breath, to calm her down, she was back on her track to the entrance of the Dark Forest.

 

* * *

 

 _'Curse ye, stupid boulder and yer act of falling on ma shoulders! '_  
  
Bog groaned between his gritted teeth when he landed at the entrance to the Dark Forest, his uninjured wings twiching irritated and the grip from his right hand tighten around his staff.  
  
_'Curse ye, stupid uncomfortable tree hole!'_  
  
His hope to make the ache in his shoulders go away with a crack of his neck were smashed, when the normally pleasant movement only brought more pain and he hissed.  
  
' _And curse ye, ye little vermin of a miserable Fairy for destroying ma castle!'_  
  
The Bog King was more than just in a foul mood. He was in pain. He was tired. Everyone got on his nerves, especially his mother and Sugar Plum. And he was so not in the mood for a bloody meeting with the Fairy King. Only two things calmed him at least a little bid: The fact that his scouts have found a suitable trunk for a new castle and that he would see Marianne soon. When he was thinking about cancelling the meeting, Bog had to imagine that Marianne surely would come, grab and, in case of need, drag him to her father. This thought was amusing enough to light up his mood and he abandoned his cancelling plans.  
  
After he found a good standing position for his back, Bog looked around. It was already midday and he had assumed to be late. That was the reason why he headed ahead of his Goblins. And the fact that he couldn't fly as fast as their dragonflies at the moment. But so far he didn't see any fairies around, nor did he hear any wings in the distance.  
  
Their bloody king shouldn't even dare to skip the meeting, after he put himself into the trouble of coming here. He didn't know if Marianne's stubbornness was enough to drag her father along, should he decided not to come. But maybe she would come alone then? In that case he didn't care if the Fairy King would come or not. As long as he could see his tough girl again.  
  
Bog sighed with a bitter smile on his lips. The Fairy Princess didn't get out of his mind, even when he had tried to sleep, but was only able to doze. He had tried to banish all his feelings and thoughts for her deep into his heart to calm a bit. But just as Marianne had crashed into his castle, his feelings for her always escaped and went postal in his mind. Both so fierce, wild and untamable....and he called her _his!_ Bog didn't even know, if Marianne would want to see him again after this meeting, let alone if she wanted those things that his mother and Sugar Plum always suggested. Yes, he had a gift for her, but that was more a compensation for what he did, than a proposal of a comradeship or anything further. Bog still didn't held his hope high and he would be happy with just that what he would get.  
  
While he was thinking, he reached for the package he had attached to the head of his staff and examined it in his hands. The Goblin could only hope that Marianne didn't get a replacement yet, otherwise he would feel like a bloody fool. Because he wanted to give the package to her after the meeting, Bog went to some roots and hid it between them. In the worst case he could just let it lay there.  
  
When Bog went away and started to wonder, if any Fairy would actually show up, his ears caught the slowly familiar sound of flittering butterfly wings. He turned in the direction of the Light Fields and peeked between the tall grass and the flowers. There was a single pair of wings. And they were purple!  
  
His whole face lit up, all fatigue and pain were forgotten for the moment, as he continued watching Marianne, how she  flew in his direction...  
  
...very fast.  
  
Bog raised a brow in confusion. Was she chased by something?  
  
He was able to get a glimpse of her joyful face, before it turned into shock of the realization, that she couldn't slow down in time. Marianne started to flap her wings hectically to brake sharply, but it was too late.  
  
Instinctively Bog steadied his stance, but wasn't able to do more.  
  
_Oh no..._  
  
**_BAM!_**  
  
The impact was hard enough that it swept the Goblin of his feet and his staff fell strepitous on the ground, when he tried to catch the Fairy in her hard landing. All air was forced out of his lungs when Marianne crashed against his chest and send him to the ground. As soon as his back hit the forest floor, Bog groaned in pain as the stabbing pang ran through his back and he squinted his eyes. _That_ was certainly not good for his recovery.  
  
"BOG! Are you alright? Are you hurt? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-I'm so clumsy sometimes." he heard Marianne babbling after some seconds. Thank the Gods, she seemed to be alright. He tried to catch his breath, so he could give her an answer.  
  
"Ouch, ye really know how to make...staggering entrances, huh Tough Girl?" She exhaled amused, but also relieved.  
  
"Maybe. But nothing beats your dramatic pyrotechnics at the elf festival." Bog wanted to chuckle, but that was a bad idea, as it sent new achiness in his back.  
  
"Are you really alright?" he heard her ask and felt how her hands searched for visible injuries on his upper body.  
  
To ease her worry, the goblin nodded, eyes still closed. "Yeah, ma back is only a bit sore from yesterday. Nothing to worry about."  
  
As soon as Bog calmed himself down and was sure that not every little movement would sent new waves of agony he opened his eyes. He wanted to check, if Marianne had injuries, but froze as he saw how close she actually was. Her hands rested on his chest, her eyes, oh her warm amber eyes who promised you the sweetest honey on earth, were still full of worry. And she was sitting on him! His whole face up to his ears went completely red and hot and for a short while he forgot to breath.  
  
"Bog?" Marianne looked puzzled at him, not understanding why his gaze became so panic. It seems that she was either too worried or still too rattled from the crash to realize their position. Or she was too occupied with his eyes. This wonderful, clear blue eyes that could see straight into your soul, but would never dare to hurt it.  
  
Finally Bog remembered how to breath again and gave himself a mental shake. Even when he wished to sit like this and gaze into her eyes forever, it would be most embarrassing for both of them, should anyone show up and find them like this. But it was very hard for him, so as first step he managed it to lift his gaze from her eyes and...wandered down with it. He drank everything from her in and admired this petite, but still strong body. For a moment he asked himself, if he really admired her body or just the fact, that it was her, who was so close to him and didn't seem to feel uncomfortable about. But he didn't think more about it.  
  
Meanwhile Marianne had noticed that his eyes wandered down her body and even when she felt that it went totally hot and pink, she didn't really mind it. No one, not even Roland, had ever looked at her like this, so honestly curious and...admiring? Now the tips of her ears became hot and she started to shift a bit under his gaze.  
  
Due to her movement, both noticed the hands that lay on Marianne's hips. Bog had grabbed her there to stop her from crashing harder into him. But he hadn't moved them away since then. Now, with the sudden realization, his hands shot up in an instant.  
  
"Uhhh...." Bog tried to talk, but couldn't find any words in his mind, so he just gave her a shy and apologetic look, curling his talons nervously.  
  
Marianne had to bit on her lips, so she wouldn't start to giggle. This shy attitude of him, she couldn't help but find it...cute? And that was really the ruler of this dark and wild forest?  
  
Normally she would have gone mad about someone touching her there, but he just wanted to protect her and after all it was just...Bog? It was somehow alarming for Marianne how she didn't mind a bit to be touched on such places of her body, by someone she knew for not even two days. Didn't she decided the other day that she wanted to take it nice and easy with whatever was happening between them? And there she was, longing for the hot and crawly sensation of his long fingers on her hips again.  
  
Aaand there where the butterflies in her stomach again.  
  
She gave herself a mental slap. _'Get it together Marianne, you aren't a hormone-driven teenager anymore. He had just hold you safe, not trying to be sensually or anything.'_  
  
Occupied with banishing any dark thoughts, she gave him just a shrug as answer, which visibly relieved him. Now he cleared his throat and also his mind to get the ability to talk back.  
  
"Wad ye...Nae that A mind..." he gestured with his hands towards her.  
  
At first, Marianne didn't react to it, but raised a brow in confusion. Did his accent just got thicker?  
  
But then the meaning of his request hit her and now it was her turn to get all red in her face. This was totally invading his private space and no wonder he looked so panicked back then. But why didn't he say anything sooner and how couldn't she have noticed, that she sat on top of him all the time? Maybe because he wasn't so uncomfortable as she imagined. The scales of his exoskeleton rubbed against her pants, but she didn't had the feeling they would get ripped or so. And his waist had just the perfect size for her to sit on.  
  
"Well, ye can also just remain...thare. Daen't know if yer father wad appreciate it tho." Bog wondered why she didn't get up yet. It really wasn't that he mind her on him. But did she really _wanted_ to sit there or didn't she understand him? Damn, sometimes he really hated it, that his accent got thicker when he was nervous.  
  
The mention of her father seemed to wake Marianne out of her thoughts. With a swift and very unladylike move she got off him and kneeled besides on the ground.  
  
"Sorry." she said with an edgy grin and ducked her head.  
  
But Bog smiled and just waved his hand. "Naething tae be sorry about."

With a quiet groan he lift himself up into a sitting pose, which sent new waves of pain through his back. Maybe he should just lay down again, at least that didn't hurt so much as standing or sitting. And Marianne could sit on him again. He still could feel the warmth of her hands on his chest and the closeness of their bodies. Bog squinted his eyes and snarled mentally. _'Not a good time to think about_ that _kind of stuff.'_  
  
Again, he cleared his throat and mind at the same time, trying to get control over his accent and thoughts again.  
  
"So,....do ye always make such an entrance when ye arrive somewhere Tough Girl?" he said chaffingly and smirked to her.

"Hm, not really," she hummed, returning the smirk. "Only do that for certain dark kings to leave an impression."

"A feel honored," Bog said chuckling and was glad that he felt no new pain. After he got grip of his staff he proceed to stand up again. Marianne moved with him, just to be there should he fall again, which didn't happened. Bog straightened his back and it felt actually good, all his muscles relaxed now. He looked down at the Fairy and gave an acknowledging nod.  
  
"And A can assure, ye really left an impression."

"Hopefully a good one." Bog only nodded again and she made a satisfied smile.  
  
But then his gaze went to her hair and he tilted his head in slight confusion. It was more wild than unusual and he could see some twigs and some purple petals in it. With an amused curl of his lips he picked one of the petals out of her hair and hold it in front of her confused face.

"Seems A'm not yer first accident today."

"Oh. That," Marianne said after a few second where she remembered her encounter with the bush. She immediately started to fumble in her hair to get it clean again. "Ah, yeah. Got grabbed by a lilac bush. Nasty thing, I can tell you."

"A lilac bush, really?" Mockery and amusement were audible in his voice.

"Hey, just because it sounds harmless, it doesn't mean it can't be dangerous." she tried to defend herself.

"Aye, A have no doubt about that. Seems to be something common in the Light Fields, as it applies to a certain Fairy Princess, too." he grinned down to her.  
  
"Ohhh, smooth one." she said with a mischievous smirk and poked his chest with one finger. Then she continued with picking the twigs out of her hair.  
  
Bog shrugged, "Just telling the truth."  
  
While Marianne was still occupied with taking care of her hair, he looked at the lilac petal, that was still in his hands. For a moment he wondered, how even one petal of the flower could still be in her hair, after she had crashed into him. Maybe because her head was pressed against his chest during the impact. Oh, hopefully the smell wouldn't stick with him, if that was the case. There weren't many flowers in the Dark Forest, but Bog had once read a book about them and when he remembered right, lilacs where described to have a very intensive sweet odor. He really didn't need to hold the petal close to his nose to catch the smell. It was indeed sweet, but not as intensive as he had imagined. More bitter-sweet with a whiff of...honey? The ghost of a smile began to spread on his face.  
  
"Smells so good?" Marianne's voice jolted him out of his thoughts and looked into her smirking face. It seems she had finished clearing her hair. It still looked wild tho.  
  
Bog cleared his throat. He felt like he was caught by doing something inappropriate.  
  
"Well, it's much sweeter than A'm used to, but it's indeed...pleasant," he let the petal fall to the ground. "Ye should crash into lilacs more often. They really suit ye."  
  
"Uh,...thank you?" The smirk on her face was gone and replaced with surprise. She didn't want to sound it like a question, she really appreciate his words, but what was he driving at exactly? Did they suit her, because of the similar color to her wings? Because the smell would suit to her? Or because he thought their smell was pleasant and he compared them to her, he wanted to indicate that he thought of _her_ being pleasant? Did he even know the symbolism of lilacs? By the time she thought about those questions her cheeks went all pink and she had started to fumble with her hands.  
  
Bog didn't know what to think of Marianne's reaction. Did he say something wrong? Did he make her uncomfortable? That was the last thing that he wanted to do, so he quickly thought about something to say, so that this awkward silent would stop.

"Uhm,...well, aside from that. What was yer reason to flight like a demon was after you?"

Marianne's face went from the ground up to him and for a second she wondered herself why she did that. Due to her little crash she had totally forgotten the reason, but then she remembered.  
  
"Oh, right! I just wanted to be here in time, before you could get impatient. We all know how bad that always ends." She gave him a smirk and he only rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I just wanted to inform you, that my father will be here as soon as possible. He just...takes his time."

"Huh, it's very uncourtly to let a fellow king wait longer as needed," he said with a skeptical raised brow. "Always thought ye Fairies hold your politeness so high?"  
  
She had to snort at that comment. "Yeah, we surely do. But with all the things that happened he was a bit more busy as usually. But that's why I'm here for, to keep you company until he arrives."  
  
"Oh, if that's the case yer father can take all the time he wants." Bog said, before he realized _what_ he implied with that. He really meant it, as far as it concerned him the Fairy King could take days until he arrived, so he had more time to spent with Marianne. But he wasn't sure if she would be equally happy about that as him.  
  
Because he avoided her gaze, Bog couldn't see the flushed smile that was on Marianne's face. So he really enjoyed her company. She bite on her lips. God, did he even realized that he was _flirting_ with her? _'Probably not, because he is just nice to you.'_ Marianne had to scold herself. Again an awkward silence was present, but this time it was the turn of the Fairy to break it.  
  
"You didn't bring some guards with you?" She was actually happy that they were alone, especially with her little stunt earlier, but she couldn't imagine that he would come to this meeting without any rear cover, when it was obvious that the Fairy King would bring some of his people along.  
  
He gladly took the chance of switching the subject, "They are on their way. A was just heading ahead. Wouldn't be so fast as them at the moment."  
  
"At the moment?" Marianne looked puzzled at him, before she realized and her face was full of worry again. "Your wings are still damaged?"  
  
Bog's heart started to flutter at the sight of her caring eyes, which could ease any pain he felt in the moment. "Well, not really. Ma wings are mostly healed. It's just ma back that gives me issues."  
  
"You already mentioned that. But yesterday your back was still fine. Did something happened?"  
  
"Uhh... Just got hit by some boulders, when we were salvaging everything useful from the old castle. Nothing to worry about, just some little back pain."  
  
While he had explained his situation, Marianne walked around him to look at his back, if there was really no damage to see. After all, she had sent him to the ground, so it could be that she made it even worse. But besides a little crack in his exoskeleton, everything seems to be okay.  
  
"You need to be more careful. I have no idea how much your...armor can take, but I'm very sure that big heavy objects can always deal great damage."  
  
At first he just raised a brow in wondering as she walked around him, but then he sighed a bit amused. "When it pleases ye, _princess_. A will try to be more-" Bog stiffed and his wings twitched as he felt her hand pressing on his back between them. It wasn't because of pain, but more out of surprise.

Marianne noticed this reaction and pulled her hand back immediately. Damn, she was invading his personal space again and then on an injured place. She didn't even know, why she had to touch him. Maybe because she wanted to feel if everything was okay. Maybe because she was curious of how his wings were attached to his back and wanted to take a closer look.  
  
"Sorry. I hope I didn't hurt you." she apologized and stood in front of him again, arms behind her back.

"No, no. A'm...A'm fine." he assured here, but that was just factoidal.

Marianne ducked her head and gave him a shy smile, exactly the same she did when they had sat in his former dinner room, after they had learned from each other's heartbreak. Bog had to gulp and his heart fluttered again. Somehow she managed it to threw him off course with such small gestures, let alone her touch and he didn't know how to deal with it, just that he knew that he started to...to like it.

Before he could say something - what exactly he didn't even know himself - they heard the sound of dragonflies flying in their direction. While Marianne just looked behind him, Bog had to turn around, to see into the Dark Forest. Just a few moments later, they saw how the dragonflies broke through the shadows of the trees and flew in their direction.

"Seems your Goblins finally caught up with you." Marianne stated and slouched her shoulders a bit. She sounded as disappointed as he felt.

"Aye..." was Bog's only response and his grip around the staff got tighter. Even when they made a progress and talked actually more than the last time, it felt like he didn't accomplished anything with this conversation, besides making her feel uncomfortable. He just wanted to know her better, wanted to get a sign that it wouldn't shatter him, when he let his walls completely down for her, as his crippled heart demanded it. Maybe he would get another chance after the meeting, but he had the dull feeling, that it would take much longer until he was able to hold a half-decent chat with her without stuttering nonsense.

Some moments later, the five dragonflies landed just a few meters from them on the ground and the Goblins dismounted from them.

"Ye took yer time." Bog rebuked them and tried to sound as neutral as possible.

"Sorry BK. Some of the Goblins are very eager to work on the new castle and didn't want to wait," explained one of the smaller Goblins, with a green skin and fins as ears. "They complained to us, that this meeting with the Fairies is unnecessary." It waved unimpressed with it's hands as it waddled towards them, followed by the other four ones.

Bog snorted annoyed at that. "What is necessary and what not is still ma decision. Should ye hear any more of these complains report to me again. A will deal with them."

"Understood, sire." the little Goblin nodded.

Marianne chewed a bit on the inside of her cheek. She could imagine how Bog would... _deal_ with those who complained about the things he does and she didn't know if liked that idea. But on the other hand, they were Goblins and the way how he would interact with his subjects was surely way different than how her father did.

One of the Goblins, the smallest one, with a fish-like face and crooked teeth, came closer to her and waved his hands to get her attention. "Hello Princess! It's nice to see you again."

A bit surprised, Marianne looked down to the smiling Goblin. It took her some seconds to recognize him. He and the other Goblin, who talked with Bog, where those who lingered alot at their king's side, when she was with him the last time. To be on eye level with him, she crouched down and returned the smile.

"It's also nice to see you again...uh..." To her shame she had to admit, that she didn't know the little fellow's name. It was never mentioned in her presence and she didn't know if he would feel hurt when she asked for it. But his smile didn't falter.

"The name is Thang, princess. And you surely remember Stuff, right?" With those words Thang grabbed the arm of his partner, Stuff, and pulled her to his side, so that she faced the fairy princess. After getting rid of Thang's grip, Stuff made a slight bow to her.

"Pleasure to meet you again, m'lady."

Marianne's expression went from surprise to a little, happy beam. Stuff was the most well-mannered Goblin she has met so far and this gave her a boost in her hopes for the future diplomacies she had planned.

"Pleasure is all mine." she said with a bow from her head which let Stuff smile a bit pleased.

Thang seemed to get excited by this somehow, because he bounced a bit and then grabbed the hand of the princess, to drag her to the other three Goblins from their party. She had to balance her with her other arm, so that Thang's dragging wouldn't cause her to fall forward, because she was still in her crouching pose. Bog hadn't said anything so far, but she could swear she heard him chuckle.

When the little fellow let go of her hand, Marianne straightened up again before he pointed to the two Goblins, which looked very similar with their bulky upper bodies and very small legs, but had different colors. "This are Romulus," he pointed to the one with grey and earth toned scales. "and Remus," he pointed to the greenish one. "They are twins."

"Hello you two." Marianne greeted them with a wave of her hand, but the twins only looked wary at her. For a second she thought that they maybe had something against her, but then she recognized them. "Oh, I remember you. You are the ones who restrained me. Twice!" Her voice wasn't angry, but the two Goblins still ducked their heads and looked at each other, uncertain how to react. But then Marianne pressed her hands against each other in a pleading gesture. "I hope you aren't mad at me for being so rough towards you. Well, back then it was justified, but now I'm really sorry for that." The confusion was big on their faces and they looked helpless at each other. After some moments Romulus coughed and waved his hands. "Don't worry about that. You reacted as anyone would who gets attacked." The thankful smile didn't help them to get their composure back. It seemed they weren't used to such affability.

"And this is Fos, our dungeon keeper." Thang ended the introduction, as he pointed to a small green Goblin with a beak. Said Goblin just snorted. " _Former_ dungeon keeper. Without a dungeon the title is worth nothing." He seemed a bit sad, but still gave Marianne a nod, which she returned.

"Oh, don't worry about that Fos. As soon as we finish the new castle, you can be a proper dungeon keeper again!" Thang tried to cheer up his companion, who only shook his head, so that his big ears tottered, but a slight smile was still visible.

"Does this mean you have found a new trunk?" Marianne asked in the circle of Goblins. Stuff's earlier comment had made her already curious about that.

"Scouts have found one this morning." Romulus said.

"But's not a real trunk." Remus continued.

"It's a very old and snaggy oak tree."

"Lays on a small slope."

"Lots of stones and most of the roots are overground."

"Much bigger than old trunk."

"And should be safe from falling down somewhere."

The twins talked in turns and it seemed that they got very excited about it, just like the other three Goblins. It must be a very great deal for them to get a new castle and Marianne just couldn't help and feel the same enthusiasm.

"That sounds _perfect_! How long will it take until you can move in?" She turned around to the Bog King, because this question was addressed to him. The Goblins also looked to their ruler.

Bog still hadn't said a word and just watched them, slightly leaned against his staff. The ghost of a contented smile was on his face, but has soon as he realized that all attention was on him, he straightened up and cleared his throat. His expression went back to neutral.

"Hard to say. It depends on how long it will take us to hollow the tree and on how many helping hands we can get." He gave Marianne a telling look and she understood. She had already imagined that Bog would ask for some help from the Light Fields to help building a new castle and in her eyes that was more than justified. Hopefully her father would see it the same way. "As soon as A'm back A will have to start planning with ma architect on the structure of the rooms and then we can tell how long it will take." he ended his explanation.

A bit confused Marianne blinked. "You have an architect for that?"

Bog had to snort about that question. "Of course! Or do ye think we just marsh into the tree, carve some random holes into it and make ourselves comfortable?"

"Well..." The Fairy didn't know how to respond to this and stroked nervously through her hair. To be honest, she really would have thought that Goblins didn't care much about a good structure and that they just would shape the rooms to their need whenever they want.

"Ye surely remember the skylight ye have crashed on your first visit here, right?" he asked her with a smirk, that she just returned with a remorseful smile. Of course she remembered it. "Something like that needs planning and a good glazier, after all it's a weakness in the construct, as we have seen it."

"You will reproach me with that forever, am I right?"

"A really liked that skylight!"

Now it was Marianne's turn to snort. "Okay, then I'm very sorry about that. But you have glaziers? Do you have more artisians and craftsman like that in your forest?"

This question let Bog raise a brow in slight puzzlement. Maybe because it was such a trivial thing to ask. "Aye, we do. They mostly live and work in the deeper parts of the forest, where the villages are."

"You really have villages? But your castle was the only real building I have seen so far. Shouldn't there be some in the same area? How big is the Dark Forest exactly?" All those questions just burst out of the Fairy, who literally beset him with them and her presence.

"Woha, calm down there tough girl. One question after another." he said amused and raised one of his claws an inch from her face, so she wouldn't come closer. At least in the moment he couldn't use any stuttering or shiftlessness he got when she was too close to him. Not when his subjects were around. Marianne looked surprised at the claw, but then took a step back and smiled apologetic.

"You seem to be very...curious about our kingdom, princess. How come?" It was Fos who asked the question, so she turned around to the Goblins, who all looked astonished to her.

"It's the first time in _years_ , that we Fairies have contact with you Goblins and we could finally learn some truths and facts about the Dark Forest. We only have old stories, full of prejudices that describes you as savage beasts and surely don't mention anything about artisians."

"Well, most of these stories have some elements of truth." Bog stated with a slight smirk, which Marianne only returned with a one sided smile from her and she crossed her arms. "I won't deny that. Still most of them come from ignorance and fear. It's not fair towards you and when my folk learns the truth about you, I'm sure they would finally stop fearing the Dark Forest."

The Goblins looked now even more astonished at the Fairy princess, which made her feel a bit awkward. Luckily Fos began to speak again. "You are really an odd Fairy." There was no snidely tone in this statement, just honest surprise.

"Yeah, I will take that as a compliment, as you know _so many_ other Fairies." she said ironically and to her relieve the Goblins caught that and chuckled. Then Stuff came forward.

"Your concerns for our people is highly appreciated, princess. We would be honored to help you out with any question you might have." The other Goblins nodded in agreement and smiled, which showed their teeth.

"Nahw, that's really nice from you guys, thanks." At the moment, Marianne was very happy. That's what she always wanted. To go to the Dark Forest and talk with it's residents. Now she finally stood here and had a bunch of Goblins, who would be more than glad to answer any questions of hers. But before she could decide on the first one to ask, she saw in the corner of her eyes, how Bog shifted in his position and looked towards the Light Fields.

"A really don't want to be a spoilsport, but it seems ye have to postpone the round of questions." he said and nodded towards a group of Fairies that approached them flying. Marianne had to groan as she recognized her father and six of his guards, two of them carrying him. She was, of course, glad that her father finally arrived, but it was a really bad timing. The meeting would already start on a later point as planned and she didn't know, if Bog or the Goblins would have much time after that.

Bog saw her discontent and smiled. "Don't worry. Ye can later pelt me with yer questions as much as ye want."

Hopeful amber eyes looked up to him. "You promise?"

"Aye."

"I can ask you as much and as long as I want?"

"Now, don't push it too hard tough girl. A still have to look after the new tree."

"Okay, then just until the evening."

"Hmpf, how gracious of ye, princess."

Marianne hummed satisfied at this statement. "Thanks, I'm well-known for my mercifulness."

The Bog King made a huff of laughter and wanted to reply, but then he saw how close the Fairy King and his guards were, so he dropped it. Now he was sure, that he would have more time to banter with the princess and maybe get over his incapability to hold a decent conversation with her. Should she really ask all the time about his forest, it shouldn't be much of a problem. With that in mind, he would endure this meeting much better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the size of the lilac petals: On photos they look not that big too me, so I can imagine that there is enough space in Marianne's hair, so that three or so are stucked in her head together with the twigs.  
> Writing the Goblins is much fun, hopefully I can do that more in the future.
> 
> Comments, Kudos and critiques are always welcome.


End file.
